Loading machine



July 1, 1930.' N. D. LEVIN LOADiNG MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1922 A TTORNE Y mine.

Patented July 1, 1936 @FFE NILS D. LEVIN, O11 COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE JEFFREY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A fiORPGRJ-KTIGN OF OHIO LQADING- Application filed February The present invention relates .to certain new and useful improvements in loading machines, and particularly to that class of loading machines which is adapted to use in coal mines for loading the broken down coal into cars for transportation from the mines.

ltis the especial object of this invention to provide a machine of the class described adapted to operation in coal mines having extremely low roofs, and having improved supporting devices whereon the loading mechanism may be conveniently positioned relative to the material to be loaded, may be expeditiously adjusted to traveling positions and may be transported over the track of the mine from one working place to another. 7

These and other objects will appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the preferred embodiment of my invent-ion when adjusted to a position suitable for transportation thru the restricted passages of the Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1, adjusted to loading position, and certain parts being broken away to reveal other parts.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view ta en along the line IIIIH of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the supporting truck, the loading mechanism being removed.

Like numerals refer to similar parts in several figures.

The preferred embodiment of my invention comprises a conveyor of the well known chain and scraper type, having a horizontal receiving portion adapted to rest upon the floor of the mine during the loading operation,.an upwardly and rearwardly inclined central portion, and a horizontal partadapted to project above a conveniently placed car to deliver material thereto, a supporting truck adapted to transport said loading mechanism from one working place to another, andcertain auxiliary devices adapted and arranged to facilitate the positioning of the conveyor relative to the material to be loaded and to expeditiously adjust said con- MACHINE c, 1922. Serial no. 534,520.

veyor relative to the truck for transportation thru the restricted passages of the mine.

The conveyor element comprises an elongated frame composed of the longitudinally extending plates 1 and 2, and the angle bars 3, 4c and 5, all of which are joined together in a manner well understood in the art to form a rigid structure. Formed integral with the frame above described, is central supporting frame 6 having a bottom plate 7, adapted to rest upon the floor of the mine, and side plates 8 joined by suitable struc tural shapes, and constituting a housing in which is mounted the power devices by which the several elements of the machine are actuated.

Arranged to travel along the guideways formed by the angle barsB and 4C, are two similar endless chains 9, joined at spaced intervals by scraper cross bars 10, and adapted to propel material along the bottom plate 1 of the conveyor trough. Upwardly and outwardly flaring side plates 11 extend along the sides of the conveyor trough throughout the inclined and the upper horizontal parts of the conveyor, to prevent the spilling of material over the sides of the trough. Similar plates 12 are arranged to be attached at either side of the forward horizontal part of the conveyor for a similar purpose, and these plates 12 are adapted to be conveniently removed at one or both sides of the conveyor to facilitate the placing of material thereon, under CL tain conditions of loading.

The chains 9 travel around suitable sprocket wheels mounted at both ends of the conveyor frame, and they are enga ed by other sprocket wheels attached to the power shaft 13 which is journaled in bearings attached to the side plates 8 of the housing 6. The shaft 13 is conneetedthru suitable gearing with a mot-or which is mounted within the housing, and by which the several elements of the machine are actuated. As these parts are well understood in the art, and as they from no part in the present invention, their illustration and description, is not thought to be required at this time.

The truck element of m invention consists of a rectangular frame composed of the side sills 14 and the end sills 15 formed of suitable structural steel shapes and joined together at the corners in any suitable manner. The forward end of the truck frame is su ported upon the axle 16 journaled in suitable bearings 17 attached to the side sills 14, and havi wheels 18 adapted to rest upon and trave along the rails 19 of the mine track. Similar wheels 20 are rotatively mounted upon the stud axles 21 secured to the side sills 14 near their rearward ends. A sprocket wheel 22 fixed to the axle 16 is arra d to be connected by a suitable endless chain 23 with the sprocket wheel 24 fixed to the end of a shaft 25 which projects thru the side plate of the housing 6, and is connected with,, tha power devices of the machine. To thoiwheels 18 and 20 are secured sprocket wheels 26 and 27 which are connected togethor by the endless driving chains 28, one at either side of the machine. When power is applied to the sprocket wheel 24, the forward track wheels 18 will be actuated thru the driving chain 23, and the rearward track wheels 20 be actuated thru the driving chains 2am propel the machine along the rails 19 otthe mine track.

Positioned within the side sill 14, and extending parallel thereto, are lever arms 29, the forward ends of which are supported upon pivot pins 30 extending thru brackets 31 filed. to the side sills 14. To the rearward ends of the lever arms 29 are attached ropes 32 which are adapted to be wound upon a transverse shaft 33, sup orted in brackets attached to the side Elli; 14. To the shaft 33 is fixed a ratchet wheel 35 arranged to be engaged b the pawl 36 carried by the hand lever 37. he lever 37 is mounted upon the shaft 33 for rotation concentric with the ratchet wheel, and affords means to rotate the shaft 33 to wind the rope 32 to elevate the rearward ends of the lever arms 29. A pawl 38, mounted upon the bracket 34 is arranged to engage the ratchet wheel 35 to prevent its rotation in the unwinding direction.

Suspended upon the pivot ins 39 fixed to the lever arms 29, midway etween their connections with the side rails and with the re are two pendant brackets 40 which are attac ed to the ends of a transverse bolster 41 extending beneath the bottom plate 7 of the housing 6. A pivot stud 42 attached to the bottom plate 7 and extending thru a central aperture 43 of the bolster 41, serves to prevent lateral displacement of the housing relative to the bolster, while permitting horizontal rotary adjustment of the conveyor relative to the truck frame.

' 7 en operating in mine workings having extremely low roofs, the bolster 41 and the bottom plate 7 may rest directly upon the floor of the mine between the track rails, thereby affording maximum clearance between the delivery end of the conveyor and the roof of the mine, or when sufficient space is available, these parts may be adjusted to any desired elevation to facilitate the lacing of cars beneath the delivery end 0 the conveyor. During the loading operation, the forward horizontal portion of the conveyor rests upon the floor of the mine adjacent the material which is to be loaded.

Material may be placed upon the conveyor in any )referred manner, such, for example, as that illustrated in my co-pending application, Serial No. 426,829, filed November 27th, 1920, Patented Oct. 18, 1927, No.1,645,653,but as the means of gathering coal onto the conveyor forms no part in the present invention, further description is not thought to be required at this time.

After the completion of the loading operation when it is desired to move the machine from one working place to another, the lever 37 may be operated to cause the rotation of the shaft 33 by the action of the pawl 36 and ratchet 35. As the ropes 32 are wound upon the shaft 33, the levers 29 will lift the bolster 41 and with it the entire conveyor mechanism sufiiciently to allow the machine to travel over the frogs and switches of the track. The conveyor frame may then be rocked upon the pivots 39 of the bolster brackets 40 to elevate the forward end of the conveyor, and these parts may be retained in that position by a stick of timber 44, or other suitable object, inserted between the side sills 14 and the angle clip 45 attached to the forward end of the housing 6 sis-illustrated in Fig. 1.

By the arrangement above described, the loading mechanism may, during the loading operation, occupy its lowest possible position resting directl upon the fioor of the mine, thereby affording maximum clearance between the deliver portion of the conveyor and the roof of t e mine. By the peculiar construction of the truck, the conveyor mechanism may be loaded upon and unloaded from said truck without changing the horizontal relations of the parts, thereby greatly facilitating the adjustment of the conveyor to and from loading position, and adaptin the machine to use in the narrowly restricted chambers of mines worked into very thin veins of coal.

What I claim is:

1. In a'machine of the class described, the combination with an elongated self-contained conveyor having a centrally disposed supporting frame adapted to rest directly upon the floor of the mine during the loading operation, of a wheeled truck adapted to trans port said conveyor from one working place to another and comprising an open rectangular frame encompassing said supporting frame, and levers connected with said conveyor frame and said truck frame adapted to lift said conveyor from said floor into traveling position.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with an elongated self-contained conveyor having a centrally disposed supporting frame adapted to rest directly upon the floor of the mine during the loading operation, of a wheeled truck adapted to transport said conveyor from one working place to another and comprising an open rectanular frame encompassing said supporting rame, levers connected with said supporting frame and said truck frame adapted to lift said conveyor from said floor into traveling position, and means upon said truck to actuate said levers as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with an elongated self-contained conveyor having a centrally dispose-d supporting frame adapted to rest directly upon the floor of the mine during the loading operation, of a Wheeled truck adapted to trans port said conveyor from one working place to another and comprising an open rectangular frame encompassing said supporting frame, levers connected with said truck frame and said supporting frame and adapted to lift said conveyor from said floor into loading position, flexible draft members connected with said levers, devices arranged to Wind said flexible members to cause said leversto lift said conveyor and means to prevent the unwinding of said draft members as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a truck frame having an opening therethru, and supported on wheels adapted to travel along the tracks of a mine, of a self-contained elongated conveyor having a centrally disposed supporting frame adapted to project thru the opening in said truck frame, and means to vertically adjust said supporting frame relative to said truck frame.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a truck frame having an opening therethru and supported on wheels adapted to travel along the tracks of a mine, of a self-contained elongated conveyor having a centrally disposed supporting frame adapted to project thru the opening insaid truck frame, and to rest upon the floor of the mine, and means to vertically adjust said supporting frame relative to said truck frame. 7

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a truck frame of an elongated conveyor mounted upon said truck frame, power devices for the actuation of said conveyor, an aXle journaled in bearings of said truck frame, a stud projecting at each side of said truck frame, wheels upon said axle and said studs adapted to support said truck frame upon the rails of a mine track, means to eifect adjusting movement of the conveyor mounting intermediate said studs,

and means to connect said Wheels with said power devices to propel the machine along the tracks of the mine.

7. In a machine of the class described/she combination with a truck frame having an opening therethru and supported upon 

